Page 15 of How We Fooled

I grin as I narrow my eyes. “Is that your version of a pinkie promise? Instead of locking fingers, it’s a kiss promise?”

He laughs out loud. “Now, you sound like Ava. But I do like that. It’s our own version of a pinkie promise.”

My face flushes as I take in what he’s saying. I’ve never met a guy to be so forward with no bullshit. He’s obviously into me and not trying to hide it one bit.

I raise my eyebrows, holding up my finger to him. “I’m going to remember that. Nobody ever breaks a pinkie promise.”

“You have my word. And what is a man without his word?”

“Now, that sounds like something my grandpa would say.”

“Then, he’s a good man. It’s the truth.”

Time flies by as our conversation flows so naturally. My cheeks are hurting from how much he’s made me laugh too. I feel so comfortable, sitting here with him, doing absolutely nothing but getting to know each other.

I have no clue what time it is when his phone rings. He reaches for it, then opens his eyes up wide.

“It’s two a.m.” He shows me the phone that’s also flashing Mom across the screen.

I cover my mouth, giggling to myself as he swipes to answer the call.

“Hi, Mom.”

I can hear her speaking, but can’t make out what she’s saying fully.

“No, I’m not at Ben’s,” he replies. “I’m still on my date with Liza in Mason Creek.”

Whatever she says obviously makes him happy because a huge grin grows across his face.

“Yeah, sorry. We just lost track of time, sitting in my truck in front of her house. I’ll head home soon.” He pauses while she says something. “Okay. Love you too.”

He hangs up and looks at me. “She wants to meet you.”

“Well, I’d love to meet her too. So, I take it, there’s a second date in our future?” I tease.

He sits up, placing one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of the seat, and raises himself so he’s towering over me. “Oh, there’s going to be a second date, a third, and a fourth.” He stops to look in my eyes. “You can just consider your summer booked from here on out—when I’m in town, I mean.”

I don’t get to ask what he means by that because his lips crash into mine in a kiss so passionate that I feel it in my toes. I place my hands on either side of his face as he repositions himself to be closer to me.

It’s a really good thing there’s an entire center console between us, or I’d be on my back in two seconds flat, letting him do whatever he damn well pleased with me.

He pulls back from the kiss and places his forehead on mine. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”

I let out a loud laugh as he opens his door and races around to my side of the truck. He opens the passenger door and places his hand out for me to grab as I exit.

I step to the side for him to close the door, and he swoops in, picking me up with a quickness. I wrap my legs around his large frame, feeling so tiny compared to him.

“I need to make sure that kiss promise was sealed for certainty,” he says right before he kisses me again.

Everything about him feels so right as I sit, wrapped around him and kissing him without a care in the world.

When he starts to put me down, I want to whimper at the loss I feel, but try my hardest not to show it.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he says as he steps away and heads back to the driver’s side.

I stand there in absolute awe of the night I’ve had, of the guy he is, and I can’t help but think this is all too good to be true. I’ve only been here for one week. How is it possible that I met this amazing guy, especially the way I did?!

He hops in the truck and cranks the engine, then rolls down the window. “I’m not going to leave until you’re safe in that house,” he says with a bit of a chuckle, making me blush.

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